Big Bad John’s Big Bad Video
EmailWhile much attention has been given to the reelection TV ad of Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. — in which he invokes praise for his bipartisan efforts from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois — another Republican Senator’s video is getting some buzz in the political world as well.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, launched a web video that features a remake of the Jimmy Dean song "Big John," featuring Cornyn dressed in cowboy clothes as he’s heralded with lyrics such as: "He rose to the top, in just one term. Kept Texas in power, made lesser states squirm. Big John."
“…as the sun rose on the Pecos
The big clock it had burned.
Six years darted by
Is it another man’s turn?
Don’t think that, Big Johnnie,
We’re sending you back
You’re doing the Lord’s work for Texas,
And we got your back.
"We’ll call folk, we’ll hustle, we’ll outwork out foe.
We’ll tell souls in Texas you must get six mo’.
For that place out yonder needs more men like you,
Who shoot straight,
And talk straight,
And enjoy a good brew.
Big John.”
Watch it HERE.
The video has been mocked all over the internet and recently on The Daily Show by Jon Stewart (who also featured the ad of Cornyn’s fictitious Democratic opponent.)
"My staff convinced me that it would be a good idea. Maybe I need a new staff," Cornyn joked at the recent state GOP convention.
"The response at the Republican convention was overwhelmingly positive, and that’s who the target audience was," Cornyn campaign spox Kevin McLaughlin told KVUE. "You can’t really buy the kind of attention this has been getting."
That includes attention from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which regards the ad as such a mockery it has put it on its own site.
- jpt
UPDATE: Despite media accounts, this is not a TV ad, it’s a video used to introduce Cornyn at events and also is a web video, so I corrected that above. Bill O’Reilly says he finds it "watchable."
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Damn that’s embarassing.
Posted by: Pete | June 26, 2008, 11:09 am 11:09 am
My mother always said men who drive big pickups are compensating for “something” (unless they need them for work). I wonder what “Big Bad John” is compensating for. And for that matter, the rest of those tough guy Republicans.
Posted by: SpaceCat | June 26, 2008, 11:14 am 11:14 am
The saddest thing is that Texans don’t see why it’s embarassing.
Posted by: JR | June 26, 2008, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Absolutely, SpaceCat. And now that anybody and everybody can fondle their six-shooter (and don’t even try to tell me they can’t/won’t) John Wayne will arise and walk from the dead into town. The OK Corral is alive and well. It’s going to be a long, hot summer and a hot time in the old town tonight. Woo Hoo (heavy on the sarcasm button!)
Posted by: Ellen | June 26, 2008, 11:36 am 11:36 am
Now the candidates and opponents are putting on ads that mock the ads that mock the ads that mock the ads—–Maybe all ads should be outlawed, certainly some of the candidates should be.
Posted by: Mary | June 26, 2008, 11:43 am 11:43 am
Funniest ad around!
Posted by: Stacey | June 26, 2008, 11:47 am 11:47 am
Taking into consideration, Dr. No and Jimmy Dean’s Big Bad John, I’d say the Republicans need to enter into 21st century political marketing. What will be their next feat, circa the 50′s and 60′s – the American Bandstanding of John McCain?
Posted by: kat | June 26, 2008, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
They should have made one using ABBA
Posted by: Remington | June 26, 2008, 12:16 pm 12:16 pm
Obama has the views of most moderates. Thats why he may seem closer to the left and yet closer to the right on gun control. No one condones violence and at the same time most people think it will be unconstitutional to ban guns. The problem is how to balance those views. Forget what Mccain is saying on gun control. He is just reversing himself. No one is calling him on all his flip-flops. Check his ratings with the NRA. How do we balance this? Balancing this is going to be difficult because there is no way of controlling gun without impinging on gun owners rights. Obama knows this and thats why as a constitutional lawyer, he realises the importance of the second ammendment and the right to bear arms and at the same time will like laws enacted to prevent it getting into the wrong hands.
Posted by: vuzous | June 26, 2008, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
sorry wrong blog
Posted by: vuzous | June 26, 2008, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
wow this is really sad
Posted by: angie | June 26, 2008, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
Can you get more outta touch than THIS! It’s gonna be a landslide!
Posted by: pity | June 26, 2008, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
No where near as funny as the presidential opossum seal.
Posted by: riley | June 26, 2008, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
JR, Oh yes, we Texans do find it embarrassing. We also find Kay Bailey Hutchison embarrassing. And don’t even mention Shrub. We can’t wear our boots when we travel any more.
Posted by: loovill | June 26, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
No JR, I do. I’m used to it.
Posted by: Pete | June 26, 2008, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
“They should have made one using ABBA”
I somehow think Dancing Queen or Waterloo wouldn’t convey the right message or gravitas. The Winner Takes It All might.
Posted by: len | June 26, 2008, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
You people need to relax a little, and be able to enjoy an attempt at humor! The big John promo was meant to be a fun intro to speeches; however, the attention being given to it by Cornyn’s adversaries has caused it to be a sensational attention grabber.
To the poster that stated that they were embarrassed to wear there boots outside of Texas, I don’t think they can call themselves real Texans!!!!
Posted by: Deb | June 26, 2008, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
I watched the Big Bad John video and immediately made a contribution to the Rick Noriega campaign.
Posted by: Kathy Osborne | June 27, 2008, 12:52 am 12:52 am
Ellen, Don’t speak for Texans. We do think it is silly and embarrassing. What is more embarrassing is that you all think “Dubya” is actually from Texas… he certainly is not.
Posted by: Bruce | June 27, 2008, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm